Warangal Corporator Killed In Revenge Saga

Murali Manohar of TRS was axed to death in revenge against his alleged involvement in killing of a Congress rival in 1992. The modus operandi of the two killings was the same.

Warangal: In an incident that is more common to faction-ridden Rayalaseema, Telangana Rashtra Samiti Greater Warangal Corporator, Anisetty Murali Manohar, was killed in a gruesome manner on Thursday evening. Tragically, it was his birthday.

The 49-year-old corporator represents Division 44 and resided in Kumarpalli area of Hanmakonda. Three people arrived on a two-wheeler and entered his house wielding axes around 5:30 pm. Before a shocked Murali could react, the three axed him multiple times. On hearing the screams, the corporator’s wife, Saritha, rushed in to defend her husband but was pushed aside.

After confirming that the corporator had been grievously injured, the attackers, raising bloody hands and axes, shouted slogans declaring that they had killed Murali. Thereafter, they ran out of the house towards the Hanamkonda Police Station and surrendered.

On knowing about the attack, a large number of people including the corporator’s supporters and a posse of police reached the spot. Finding Murali lying in a pool of blood, police rushed him to a private hospital in Hanmakonda. Doctors tried to revive Murali, who was on the verge of collapse, as he lost a lot of blood. Soon, he breathed his last. His body has been sent to the MGM Hospital for post-mortem.

About 25 years ago in 1992 Congress leader and former councillor Bommati Janardan, alias Jenni, was similarly murdered. A group of attackers, also armed with axes, had hacked Jenni to death. Murali was one of the six accused in that case.

Since then, a vengeful Vikram Kumar, Jenni’s son, was biding his time. Thursday was perhaps deliberately chosen for the attack as it was also Murali’s birthday. According to police, Vikram, along with his friends Varun and Chiranjeevi, carried out the attack. Hanamkonda police have booked a murder case against the three.

TRS MLAs Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Rajaiah, other leaders and supporters of the corporator reached the hospital and raised slogans against the murder.